8 



Management Act, we are in the process of revising that plan. 

 Based on the results of the forest plan monitoring and on public 

 input, we have identified six areas where significant changes may 

 be needed in the plan. These areas are water yield, roadless areas, 

 locatable minerals, leasable minerals, suitable timber lands and al- 

 lowable sale quantity on those lands, and biological diversity. 



In the revision process, each alternative will be evaluated for its 

 potential to produce a healthy, productive forest. Social and eco- 

 nomic consequences will be displayed, and a recommendation will 

 be made as to which alternative produces the best mix of goods and 

 services, both commodities and amenities. 



I must stress at this point that no decisions have been made re- 

 garding the alternative to be selected in the forest plan revision. A 

 draft plan with the recommended alternatives should be published 

 this winter. After it is released, a 90-day public comment period 

 will occur. We will then consider all public input and modify the 

 draft plan as appropriate and publish a fmal forest plan revision 

 probably sometime next summer. 



One of our major programs on the forest is recreation. We use 

 concessionaires to operate many of our campgrounds. Our four con- 

 cessionaires took in $160,000 in camping fees in 1992 and paid the 

 Federal Government $25,000 while still providing quality service to 

 the user. For 1992, we estimate that recreationists on the forest 

 contributed over 31 million dollars to the local economies. Based on 

 available information, we do not anticipate significant changes in 

 the recreation program due to the revision of the forest plan. If ad- 

 ditional wilderness is designated, recreation opportunities on those 

 acres would change from current use. 



Another of our major customers on the forest is the local ranch- 

 er. In 1992, approximately 22,000 animals grazed on the forest. 

 Most of our permits are issued to small operators that run less 

 than 150 head of livestock. Revenue the Forest Service received for 

 permits in 1992 was $168,000. Forty-two thousand went to the coun- 

 ties. We anticipate that the revision of the forest plan will result in 

 little change in the current range program on the forest. Minor 

 changes may occur as we take action to improve some riparian 

 areas. 



Mining is another program on the forest. Larger mines, such as 

 Homestake, are mostly on private land, but there are some small 

 business mining companies operating on the forest at this time. An 

 example is Pacer Corporation on the Custer District. 



Not surprisingly, the timber sale program is a significant con- 

 tributor to economic activity in the region. The dollar value of 

 timber purchased by small businesses varies from year to year. In 

 1992, 14 million dollars' worth of timber was harvested from the 

 Black Hills National Forest. With the exception of one company, 

 all purchasers are small businesses. Small businesses are presently 

 given the opportunity to purchase 54 percent of our sales by 

 volume without competition from large businesses. 



Under the preliminary alternatives being considered in the 

 forest plan revision, the allowable sales quantity could range from 

 a low of approximately 40 million board feet to a high of around 

 100 million board feet of sawtimber. By comparison, over the last 

 decade, an average of 120 million board feet of sawtimber has been 



